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17
NAPIER MAIL, JANUARY 9, 2013
NEWS
Dictionary stumbled upon
The written word: Migoto Eria, Curator Taonga Maori, holding William
Colenso's Maori-English Lexicon (specimen of); Manuscript. Collection of
the Hawke's Bay Museums Trust, Ruawharo Ta-u-rangi.
'
This was a crucial time for
printing in Maori, as Maori
people themselves were only
beginning to interpret their own
language in writing.
'
William Colenso, 1862
As a curator, there are times
when you stumble upon major
treasure troves, said Migoto Eria,
holding an old Maori-English dic-
tionary written by William
Colenso in the early 1800s.
This stumble was more of a
casual conversation with Gail
Pope [Hawke's Bay Museum and
Art Gallery archivist] who
brought my attention to Maori
items in the William Colenso col-
lection,'' said Ms Eria, Taonga
Maori curator.
To understand the value of
Colenso's early lexicon, she said it
was important to first understand
the significance of the Maori
language to him and his family.
Arriving in New Zealand as a
missionary from England he
understood the importance of
learning Maori to his position.
Letters to and from local ranga-
tira and other manuscripts show
Colenso signed off as Te Koren-
eho' a transliterised Maori version
of his name.''
Te Koreneho's household was a
Maori speaking household. His
wife Elizabeth Colenso and two
children, Fanny and Latimer,
were all fluent speakers of Maori.
Both children spoke only Maori
until the ages of seven and eight.
Elizabeth, a teacher, had trans-
lated English stories into Maori,
two of which, The Little
Wanderers and Rocky Island by
Samuel Wilberforce were publi-
shed by the Bishop Press in Wai-
mate in 1843 and 1844.
In terms of publishing Maori
material and resources to teach
Maori speakers the written
word'', she said Te Koreneho
undertook Maori language pro-
jects that were turning points in
19th Century development of
Maori.
This was a crucial time for
printing in Maori, as Maori people
themselves were only beginning to
interpret their own language in
writing.''
Ms Eria believed these would
have been created to teach Maori
to read the Bible.
Te Koreneho had translated
the complete New Testament into
Maori in 1838. However, this
work to familiarise Maori with
reading and writing in their own
language enabled them to do the
same with English.''
So devoted was Te Koreneho to
developing the learning of Maori
speakers that he was contracted
by the government to formulate a
complete Maori lexicon in seven
years for which he was paid an
annual remuneration of 300
pounds.
A change of government over
that time meant serious compli-
cations for the progress of this
lexicon, for example, the with-
drawal of the free postal service
had a dramatic impact on his com-
munication with the government.
Three and a half years passed
and he was notified that a large
portion of the lexicon should be in
the press. After he replied that
this was impossible he was noti-
fied that his remuneration would
cease to continue until further
notice.
He continued to work unpaid
to the point where he was ordered
to provide a sample' of his
approved lexicon. He had [only in
retaliation to what he perceived
as inappropriate treatment] in
1898 only completed and printed
the letter block A.
Te Koreneho also printed Te
A-nui a Wi, Willie's First English
Book in 1872 but only parts one
and two of three. The name of this
publication can be interpreted as
The big A of Wi' or The alphabet
of Wi'. Within the series, the tar-
get language is English delivered
in Maori. We can interpret from
the title that the resource was
dedicated to Te Koreneho's son
Wiremu, who much like Te Koren-
eho's older children, did not con-
verse in English.''
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